Skira Editore and Editions d'Art Albert Skira, also known as Skira, is a publishing firm founded by

Albert Skira Albert Skira (1904–1973) was a Swiss art dealer, publisher and the founder of the Skira publishing house. The Skira publishing house, Editions d'Art Albert Skira Skira founded the eponymous publishing house in Lausanne in 1928, at various tim ...

in Switzerland in 1928 and now based in Italy. The firm is known particularly for its art books"Albert Skira, 69, Publisher of Art"
''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'', 15 September 1973. Retrieved 10 March 2019. of "vastly improved quality of colour reproduction".Malcolm Gee
''Art Criticism Since 1900''
Manchester University Press, 1993, pp. 77-79. Retrieved 11 March 2019.

Switzerland (1928–1932)

Originally located in

Lausanne , neighboring_municipalities= Bottens, Bretigny-sur-Morrens, Chavannes-près-Renens, Cheseaux-sur-Lausanne, Crissier, Cugy, Écublens, Épalinges, Évian-les-Bains (FR-74), Froideville, Jouxtens-Mézery, Le Mont-sur-Lausanne, Lugrin (FR-74), ...

, Skira soon relocated to

Geneva Geneva ( ; french: Genève ) frp, Genèva ; german: link=no, Genf ; it, Ginevra ; rm, Genevra is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich) and the most populous city of Romandy, the French-speaki ...

. Albert Skira wanted his firm to publish books in which "the greatest of artists illustrate the best in literature". For that reason Skira's first publications were a number of large scale

artist's book Artists' books (or book arts or book objects) are works of art that utilize the form of the book. They are often published in small editions, though they are sometimes produced as one-of-a-kind objects. Overview Artists' books have employed a ...

editions.Skira: The Story
skira.net. Retrieved 10 March 2019.Vincent Giroud
"Skira, Albert (1904–73) Swiss art publisher"
in: ''The Oxford Companion to the Book'', Oxford University Press, 2010 online edition. Retrieved 10 March 2019. For the first book, Skira engaged

Pablo Picasso Pablo Ruiz Picasso (25 October 1881 – 8 April 1973) was a Spanish painter, sculptor, printmaker, ceramicist and Scenic design, theatre designer who spent most of his adult life in France. One of the most influential artists of the 20th ce ...

to illustrate

Ovid Pūblius Ovidius Nāsō (; 20 March 43 BC – 17/18 AD), known in English as Ovid ( ), was a Roman poet who lived during the reign of Augustus. He was a contemporary of the older Virgil and Horace, with whom he is often ranked as one of the th ...

's " Les Métamorphoses" with 30

etching Etching is traditionally the process of using strong acid or mordant to cut into the unprotected parts of a metal surface to create a design in intaglio (incised) in the metal. In modern manufacturing, other chemicals may be used on other types ...

s, which were executed in 1930 in Picasso's neoclassical style and published in 1931 in a limited edition. These were followed by further luxury editions of poetry, including

Stéphane Mallarmé Stéphane Mallarmé ( , ; 18 March 1842 – 9 September 1898), pen name of Étienne Mallarmé, was a French poet and critic. He was a major French symbolist poet, and his work anticipated and inspired several revolutionary artistic schools of ...

's collection of poems " Poésies" illustrated with 29 etchings by

Henri Matisse Henri Émile Benoît Matisse (; 31 December 1869 – 3 November 1954) was a French visual artist, known for both his use of colour and his fluid and original draughtsmanship. He was a draughtsman, printmaker, and sculptor, but is known prima ...

. Art historian John Jacobus said of Matisse's work "The etchings of the 1932 edition of Mallarmé perhaps mark the peak in his efforts in this medium".

Salvador Dalí Salvador Domingo Felipe Jacinto Dalí i Domènech, Marquess of Dalí of Púbol (; ; ; 11 May 190423 January 1989) was a Spanish Surrealism, surrealist artist renowned for his technical skill, precise draftsmanship, and the striking and bizarr ...

produced 43 etchings for Comte de Lautréamont's (Isidore Lucien Ducasse) "

Les Chants de Maldoror ''Les Chants de Maldoror'' (''The Songs of Maldoror'') is a French poetic novel, or a long prose poem. It was written and published between 1868 and 1869 by the Comte de Lautréamont, the '' nom de plume'' of the Uruguayan-born French writer Isi ...

" published in 1934. Virgil's Les Bucoliques was illustrated by

André Beaudin André — sometimes transliterated as Andre — is the French and Portuguese form of the name Andrew, and is now also used in the English-speaking world. It used in France, Quebec, Canada and other French-speaking countries. It is a variation ...

1936. "Skira, Albert (1904–73) Swiss publisher"
in: Ian Chilvers and John Glaves-Smith, ''A Dictionary of Modern and Contemporary Art'' (3rd ed.), Oxford University Press, 2015 online edition. Retrieved 10 March 2019.

Paris (1933–1940)

In 1933 Albert Skira moved to

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

and opened a branch of his firm there. At that time Paris was an artistic centre and many of the great modern movements, such as

Surrealism Surrealism is a cultural movement that developed in Europe in the aftermath of World War I in which artists depicted unnerving, illogical scenes and developed techniques to allow the unconscious mind to express itself. Its aim was, according to l ...

, were active there. To cater for this audience, Skira, in collaboration with the art critic, editor and publisher

Tériade Tériade is the pen name of Stratis (or Efstratios) Eleftheriades ( el, Στρατής Ελευθεριάδης; 2 May 1897 – 23 October 1983), a native of Mytilene who went to Paris in 1915 at the age of eighteen to study law, but who instead bec ...

, launched a glossy avant-garde art magazine with the title of ''

Minotaure ''Minotaure'' was a Surrealist-oriented magazine founded by Albert Skira and E. Tériade in Paris and published between 1933 and 1939. ''Minotaure'' published on the plastic arts, poetry, and literature, avant garde, as well as articles on esoter ...

'' including an editorial committee with

André Breton André Robert Breton (; 19 February 1896 – 28 September 1966) was a French writer and poet, the co-founder, leader, and principal theorist of surrealism. His writings include the first ''Surrealist Manifesto'' (''Manifeste du surréalisme'') o ...

Marcel Duchamp Henri-Robert-Marcel Duchamp (, , ; 28 July 1887 – 2 October 1968) was a French painter, sculptor, chess player, and writer whose work is associated with Cubism, Dada, and conceptual art. Duchamp is commonly regarded, along with Pablo Picasso ...

Paul Eluard Paul may refer to: *Paul (given name), a given name (includes a list of people with that name) * Paul (surname), a list of people People Christianity *Paul the Apostle (AD c.5–c.64/65), also known as Saul of Tarsus or Saint Paul, early Chri ...

, Maurice Heine, and Pierre Mabille. Skira promoted the magazine as a "primary source of information about the arts" that would reproduce works of "universal interest" and supplement them with critical studies of current artistic trends.Kathryn Brown, ''Matisse’s Poets: Critical Performance in the Artist’s Book'', Bloomsbury Academic, 2017, p. 36. Retrieved 11 March 2019. Picasso was commissioned to photograph a series of sculptures for the first number which also included reproductions of works by Matisse and Brassaï and contributions by Breton, Eluard and

Pierre Reverdy Pierre Reverdy (; 13 September 1889 – 17 June 1960) was a French poet whose works were inspired by and subsequently proceeded to influence the provocative art movements of the day, Surrealism, Dadaism and Cubism. The loneliness and spiritual a ...

. In 1934 Skira launched a book series with the title ''Les trésors de la peinture française'' with each volume containing "large colour plates and a brief text". The series had sold a million copies in France and Switzerland by 1950 and ultimately grew to 48 volumes ending in 1952.Art: Perfectionist, Time, 29 May 1950
Retrieved 12 March 2019.

Geneva (1941–1948)

In 1941 Albert Skira returned to Geneva. In the years 1941 to 1948 he devoted himself (with the assistance of Henri Matisse) to publishing ''Florilège des Amours de Ronsard'' (Anthology of the Amours of

Pierre de Ronsard Pierre de Ronsard (; 11 September 1524 – 27 December 1585) was a French poet or, as his own generation in France called him, a " prince of poets". Early life Pierre de Ronsard was born at the Manoir de la Possonnière, in the village of ...

), a luxury artist's book created at the "highest possible standards ... in design and typography". Other major books published by Skira in the 1940s included Rabelais's ''

Pantagruel ''The Life of Gargantua and of Pantagruel'' (french: La vie de Gargantua et de Pantagruel) is a pentalogy of novels written in the 16th century by François Rabelais, telling the adventures of two giants, Gargantua ( , ) and his son Pantagruel ...

'' (1943) (with "vibrantly-coloured woodcuts" by

André Derain André Derain (, ; 10 June 1880 – 8 September 1954) was a French artist, painter, sculptor and co-founder of Fauvism with Henri Matisse. Biography Early years Derain was born in 1880 in Chatou, Yvelines, Île-de-France (region), Île-de-Franc ...

) and Malraux's ''Les Conquérants'' (1949) (with etchings by

André Masson André-Aimé-René Masson (4 January 1896 – 28 October 1987) was a French artist. Biography Masson was born in Balagny-sur-Thérain, Oise, but when he was eight his father's work took the family first briefly to Lille and then to Brussel ...

). Towards the end of the war he also published "a monthly review of art and literature" called ''Labyrinthe'' (1944–1946) which contained essays on topics and by painters (Cingria,

René Auberjonois René Murat Auberjonois (; June 1, 1940 – December 8, 2019) was an American actor and director. He was best known for portraying Odo on ''Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'' (1993–1999). He first achieved fame as a stage actor, winning the Tony A ...

, Gruber) and thinkers (

Jean-Paul Sartre Jean-Paul Charles Aymard Sartre (, ; ; 21 June 1905 – 15 April 1980) was one of the key figures in the philosophy of existentialism (and phenomenology), a French playwright, novelist, screenwriter, political activist, biographer, and litera ...

André Malraux Georges André Malraux ( , ; 3 November 1901 – 23 November 1976) was a French novelist, art theorist, and minister of cultural affairs. Malraux's novel ''La Condition Humaine'' (Man's Fate) (1933) won the Prix Goncourt. He was appointed by P ...

, Eluard) similar to those appearing in ''Minotaure'' but whose newspaper format showed that he was attempting to reach a wider audience. The final number of ''Labyrinthe'' published the first chapter of the final draft of Malraux's ''La Psychologie de l'Art'' (The Psychology of Art). Holman wrote her art history thesis on Editions d'Art Albert Skira focusing on the years between 1928 and 1948, his desire to publish a book with Picasso, and the different types of books he published: magazines, artist's books, and history books.

Geneva (1949–1973)

In the 1950s and 1960s Skira became a multinational publisher of quality art books printed in color with very high technical standards. Skira published individual books on many areas of art, including histories, contemporary art, and

decorative arts ] The decorative arts are arts or crafts whose object is the design and manufacture of objects that are both beautiful and functional. It includes most of the arts making objects for the interiors of buildings, and interior design, but not usual ...

, from around the world, as well as large series of art books that were sold throughout Europe and North America.Corisande Evesque. Albert Skira et ses livres d’art (1948-1973). Histoire. 2015
ffdumas-01256888 In French-speaking counties Skira's books were exclusively distributed by Achille Weber and in the United Kingdom by the art publishing firm and bookshop A. Zwemmer Ltd., which had previously distributed Minotaure in the 1930s. The books were distributed in the USA and Canada by The

World Publishing Company The World Publishing Company was an American publishing company. The company published genre fiction, trade paperbacks, children's literature, nonfiction books, textbooks, Bibles, and dictionaries,

Editions d'Art Albert Skira book series of the 1950s and 1960s

With the success of the "Les Trésors de la Peinture Française" (1934-1952) and other series in France, Albert Skira planned and directed the publication of several ambitious series of books for an international market. These series systematically reviewed the art of European and beyond, some through national schools and art movements, others chronologically. Time Magazine characterized Skira as a "perfectionist" for his opulent publications made for a high-end market. Many of the leading art historians, archaeologists, and intellectuals of the time were commissioned to write the books, providing authoritative text. Unlike the majority of art history books up to that time, which if illustrated at all, were illustrated in black and white, Editions d'Art Albert Skira books were profusely illustrated with high quality color reproductions " tipped" into each volume. At that time, one of the Skira series "Painting, Color, History", was praised for the "notable achievement" of having all the illustrations in each volume in color, and the "quality of the color and of the paper and typography". They were sold in protective, plain cardboard slipcases with glossy illustrated dust jackets. The books were well constructed with embossed lettering on cloth or

buckram Buckram is a stiff cotton (occasionally linen or horse hair) cloth with a loose weave, often muslin. The fabric is soaked in a sizing agent such as wheat-starch paste, glue (such as PVA glue), or pyroxylin (gelatinized nitrocellulose, dev ...

covers, sturdy archival papers, and great attention to details. Most volumes in each collection were translated into multiple languages and available in French, English, and Italian editions, and often in German and Spanish "according to the market and the demand of the distributors". Skira was praised as a "distinguished" publisher with "long lists of reputable, scholarly publications" to its credit. Albert Skira "brought his high standards to a mass audience" and along with the publications of just a few contemporaries (e.g. Cailler and Editions Tisné; Éditions Mazenod; Harry N. Abrams, Inc) ) his books played a role in the development of the

coffee table book A coffee table book, also known as a cocktail table book, is an oversized, usually hard-covered book whose purpose is for display on a table intended for use in an area in which one entertains guests and from which it can serve to inspire convers ...

as known today. In her study on "the impact of Albert Skira in the post-war years on the art book" Corisande stated "It is because he was the creator that Albert Skira marked the history of the art book between 1950 and 1970, and established itself as a vital mediator between art and the public." Swiss literary critic

Jean Starobinski Jean Starobinski (17 November 1920 – 4 March 2019) was a Swiss literary critic. Biography Starobinski was born in Geneva in 1920, the son of Jewish physicians Aron Starobinski of Warsaw and Sulka Frydman of Lublin. Both his parents left ...

said "this man, who had the absolute eye, helped to make history." suggesting that the success of these book series in Europe and North America were a contributing influence and factor in determining what art and artist we consider important and how art is perceived today, as have others.

Gaëtan Picon Gaëtan Picon (19 September 1915 – 6 August 1976) was a French author: essayist, art and literature critic, and art and literature historian. He was director of the ''Mercure de France'' and Director-General of Arts and Letters under André Malrau ...

called to the series "the imaginary museum" and said these collections modified the relationship of painting with his audience, the general public, and Dufrêne said of Albert Skira and his series of the 1950s -1970s "the publisher is often more important than the author; format and layout more important than the text". Corisande discussed "the place held by Albert Skira and his books in the process of training public taste" and asked "Are they driving the formation of taste or are they devoted to contributing to an already established taste?"

Series and collections planned and directed by Albert Skira

Painting, Color, History: 23 volumes (1949-1972) our additional volumes published by Skira/Rizzoli after 1972 Over two decades in the making, the original series for an international audience was "An historical conspectus of the great schools of painting and the chief art movements, past and present" Many art historians of the 20th century were commissioned to write the books, including

Otto Benesch Otto Benesch (29 June 1896 in Ebenfurth – 16 November 1964 in Vienna) was an Austrian art historian. He was taught by Max Dvořák and is considered a member of the Vienna School of Art History. He is well known for his catalogue of Rembran ...

, Anthony Blunt, Hans Bolliger, Jules David Brown, Albert Châtelet, Robert L. Delevoy, Enrique Lafuente Ferrari, Hanspeter Landolt, Jacques Lassaigne, Jean Leymarie, Jean- Amedeo Maiuri, Jacques Mayoux, Nello Ponente, Maynal Raynal, Barbara Rose, Werner Schmalenbach, Rosabianca Skira-Venturi, Arnold Rüdlinger,

Jacques Thuillier Jacques Thuillier, (March 18, 1928, Vaucouleurs, Meuse – October 18, 2011, Paris) was a French art historian specializing in 17th-century French painting. Thuillier was an honorary professor at the Collège de France, where he taught history ...

, and

Lionello Venturi Lionello Venturi (25 April 1885, Modena – 14 August 1961, Rome) was an Italian historian and critic of art. He edited the first catalogue raisonné of Paul Cézanne. Life Lionello Venturi was born in 1885, son of art historian Adolfo Venturi. ...

. Fourteen of the 23 volumes were translated into English from French, Italian, and Spanish by literary scholar and translator Stuart Gilbert, one by Douglas Cooper (History of Modern Painting III), three were originally in English. They are large books (13.75 x 10 in.) with cloth covers embossed gilt-lettering. The covers vary in color: French blue, 12 volumes (French, Modern, Italian); light red, 5 volumes (Dutch, Flemish, German); others are shades from beige to brown. Some books feature foldout pages with color plates. Second editions of many volumes were published in the 1970s by Skira/Rizzoli International Publications, Inc., New York. * ''American Painting I: From its Beginnings to the Armory Show.'' Jules David Brown (1969), 70 color plates, 145 pp. * ''American Painting II: The 20th Century.'' Barbara Rose (1969), 60 color plates, 126 pp. * ''Dutch Painting.'' Jean Leymarie (1956) 114 color plates, 213 pp. * ''English Painting: From Hogarth to the Pre-Raphaelites.'' Jean-Jacques Mayoux and Sir Anthony Blunt. (1972). 130 color plates, 281 pp. st US ed. 1975 by Skira/St. Martin's Press, Inc. New York* ''Flemish Painting I: The Century of Van Eyck.'' Jacques Lassaigne (1957), 112 color plates, 183 pp. * ''Flemish Painting II: From Bosch to Rubens.'' Jacques Lassaigne and Robert L. Delevoy. (1958), 112 color plates, 201 pp. * ''French Painting I: From Fouquet to Poussin.'' Albert Châtelet and Jacques Thuillier (1963), 109 color plates, 245 pp. * ''French Painting II: From Le Nain to Fragonard.'' Jacques Thuillier and Albert Châtelet. (1964), 106 color plates, 277 pp. * ''French Painting III: The Nineteenth Century.'' Jacques Leymarie (1962), 109 color plates, 231 pp. * ''German Painting I: Late Middle Ages (1350-1500).'' Hanspeter Landolt (1968), 72 color plates, 168 pp. * ''German Painting II: From Dürer to Holbein.'' Otto Benesch (1966), 89 color plates, 198 pp. * ''Goya: The Frescos in San Antonio de la Florida in Madrid.'' Enrique Lafuente Ferrari (1955), 42 color plates, 151 pp. * ''The History of Modern Painting I: from Baudelaire to Bonnard.'' Maynal Raynal, (1949), 80 color plates, 151 pp. * ''The History of Modern Painting II: Matisse, Munch, Rouault, Fauvism and Expressionism.'' Maynal Raynal, Jacques Lassaigne, Arnold Rüdlinger, and Hans Bolliger (1950), 88 color plates, 151 pp. * ''The History of Modern Painting III: from Picasso to Surrealism.'' Maynal Raynal, Jacques Lassaigne, Arnold Rüdlinger, Hans Bolliger, and Werner Schmalenbach (1950), 112 color plates, 209 pp. * ''Modern Painting.'' Maurice Raynal (1953), 200 color reproductions (not hand tipped), 339 pp. * ''Modern Painting, Contemporary Trends: 1940-1960.'' Nello Ponente (1960). 100 color plates 215 pp. * ''Italian Painting I: From The Origins to the Thirteenth Century.'' Amedeo Maiuri and Lionello Venturi (1959), 99 color plates, 199 pp. * ''Italian Painting II: The Creators of the Renaissance.'' Lionello Venturi and Rosabianca Skira-Venturi. (1950), 103 color plates, 205 pp. * ''Italian Painting III: The Renaissance.'' Lionello Venturi and Rosabianca Skira-Venturi (1951), 105 color plates, 168 pp. * ''Italian Painting IV: From Caracaggio to Modigliani.'' Lionello Venturi and Rosabianca Skira-Venturi. (1952), 84 color plates, 174 pp. * ''Spanish Painting I: From the Catalan Frescos to El Greco.'' Jacques Lassaigne (1952), 70 color plates, 138 pp. * ''Spanish Painting II: From Velazquez to Picasso.'' Jacques Lassaigne (1952), 70 color plates, 148 pp. volumes published after Ablert Skira's death * ''Swiss Painting: From the Middle Ages to the Dawn of the Twentieth Century.'' Florens Deuchler, Marcel Roethlisberger, and Hans Lüthy. (1976), Skira/Rizzoli International Publications, Inc., New York. 65 color plates 198 pp. * ''Catalan Painting I: The Fascination of Romanesque.'' J. A. De Lasarte (1990), Skira/Rizzoli International Publications, Inc., New York. 105 color plates, 152 pp. * ''Catalan Painting II: from Gothic splendor to the Baroque.'' J A. De Lasarte (1991), Skira/Rizzoli International Publications, Inc., New York. 102 color plates, 161 pp. * ''Catalan Painting III: From the Nineteenth to the Surprising Twentieth Century.'' J. A. De Lasarte (1992), Skira/Rizzoli International Publications, Inc., New York. 101 color plates, 154 pp. The Great Centuries of Painting: 14 volumes (1950-1959) This collection provides a historical overview of painting in Europe and western civilization, systematically surveying prehistoric cave painting at

Lascaux Lascaux ( , ; french: Grotte de Lascaux , "Lascaux Cave") is a network of caves near the village of Montignac, in the department of Dordogne in southwestern France. Over 600 parietal wall paintings cover the interior walls and ceilings of ...

, ancient Egypt, Greece, Rome, Byzantine, Medieval Europe, The Renaissance, to the end of nineteenth century. The authors include archeologists and art historians:

Giulio Carlo Argan Giulio Carlo Argan (17 May 1909 – 12 November 1992) was an Italian art historian, critic and politician. Biography Argan was born in Turin and studied in the University of Turin, graduating in 1931. In 1928 he entered the National Fascist Part ...

, Georges Bataille,

André Grabar André Nicolaevitch Grabar (July 26, 1896 – October 3, 1990) was an historian of Romanesque art and the art of the Eastern Roman Empire and the Bulgarian Empire. Born in Ukraine and educated in Kyiv, St. Petersburg and Odessa, he spent his car ...

, Jacques Lassaigne,

Amedeo Maiuri Amedeo Maiuri (January 7, 1886 – April 7, 1963) was an Italian archaeologist, famous for his archaeological investigations of the Roman city of Pompeii which was destroyed in the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in August of AD 79. He was the first ...

Carl Nordenfalk Carl Nordenfalk (December 13, 1907 – June 13, 1992) was a Swedish art historian, academic and director of the Swedish Nationalmuseum from 1958 to 1968. He is best known for his work on Late Antique illuminations, especially those linked to the ...

Massimo Pallottino Massimo Pallottino (9 November 1909 in Rome – 7 February 1995 in Rome) was an Italian archaeologist specializing in Etruscan civilization and art. Biography Pallottino was a student of Giulio Quirino Giglioli and worked early in his career on ...

Maurice Raynal Portrait of Maurice Raynal (1911), by Juan Gris. Maurice Raynal (3 February 1884, Paris – 18 September 1954, Suresnes) was a French art critic and an ardent propagandist of cubism. Some publications *''Essai de Définition de la Peinture C ...

Martin Robertson Charles Martin Robertson (11 September 1911 – 26 December 2004) was a British classical scholar and poet. He specialised in the art and archaeology of Ancient Greece. Early life He was the elder son of Donald Struan Robertson and Petica Cour ...

, and

. Most volumes were originally written in French or Italian and translated into other languages. Nine of the 14 volumes were translated into English by literary scholar and translator Stuart Gilbert and the Lascaux volume by

Austryn Wainhouse Austryn Wainhouse (6 February 1927 – 29 September 2014) was an American author, publisher and translator, primarily of French works and most notably of the Marquis de Sade. He sometimes used the pseudonym Pieralessandro Casavini. Life Following ...

. The books have dark forest green, buckram covers with embossed gold gilt-lettering on the front and spines, and are in a

quarto Quarto (abbreviated Qto, 4to or 4º) is the format of a book or pamphlet produced from full sheets printed with eight pages of text, four to a side, then folded twice to produce four leaves. The leaves are then trimmed along the folds to produc ...

(4to) format, near square in dimensions (11.25 x 10 in./28.4 x 25.2 cm.). Many volumes have foldout pages supporting large or comparative sets of color plates. Second editions of some volumes were published in 1972, and paperback editions were published by Skira/Rizzoli later years.Cahill, James. Chinese Painting. (1960), Editions d'Art Albert Skira, Geneva, 213 pp. * ''Prehistoric Painting, Lascaux or the Birth of Art.'' Georges Bataille (1955), 68 color plates, 151 pp. * ''Egyptian Painting.'' Arpag Mekhitarian (1954), 95 color plates, 167 pp. * ''Greek Painting.'' Martin Robertson (1959), 99 color plates, 195 pp. * ''Etruscan Painting.'' Massimo Pallottino (1952), 64 color plates, 139 pp. * ''Roman Painting.'' Amedeo Maiuri (1953), 84 color plates, 155 pp. * ''Byzantine Painting.'' André Grabar (1953), 105 color plates, 203 pp. * ''Early Medieval Painting, from the Fourth to the Eleventh Century.'' André Grabar and Carl Nordenfalk (1957), 98 color plates, 243 pp. * ''Romanesque Painting, from the Eleventh to the Thirteenth Century.'' André Grabar and Carl Nordenfalk (1958), 99 color plates 231 pp. * ''Gothic Painting.'' Jacques Dupont and Cesare Gnudi (1954), 110 color plates, 215 pp. * ''The Fifteenth Century, Van Eyck to Botticelli.'' Jacques Lassaigne and Giulio Carlo Argan (1955), 116 color plates, 235 pp. * ''The Sixteenth Century, Leonardo to El Greco.'' Lionello Venturi (1956), 152 color plates, 283 pp. * ''The Seventeenth Century: The New Developments in Art from Caravaggio to Vermeer.'' Jacques Dupont and Francois Mathey (1951), 64 color plates, 136 pp. * ''The Eighteenth Century, Watteau to Tiepolo.'' Francois Fosca (1952), 64 color plates, 147 pp. * ''The Nineteenth Century: New Sources of Emotion, Goya to Gauguin.'' Maurice Raynal (1951), 69 color plates, 148 pp. Treasures of Asia: 6 volumes (1960-1963) A companion series to The Great Centuries of Painting (identical in format except the covers are yellow), presented as "the next step in our encyclopedic program of art publishing is to provide a comprehensive survey of painting in Asia". The authors were all highly regarded in their respective fields, including

Basil Gray Basil Gray, (1904 – 1989), was an art historian, Islamicist, author, and the head of the British Museum's Oriental department. Early life Basil Gray was born in 1904 at Kensington, the son to Charles Gray and Florence Elworthy Cowell. His f ...

Richard Ettinghausen Richard Ettinghausen (February 5, 1906 – April 2, 1979) Princeton, New Jersey was a German-American historian of Islamic art and chief curator of the Freer Gallery. Education Ettinghausen was born in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. He received his ...

, Akiyama Terukazu (National Institute of Art Researchers, Tokyo), Douglas Barrett (British Museum, London), and Mario Bussagli (University of Rome). James Cahill's volume on Chinese Painting is considered a classic text that for decades was required reading in Chinese art history classes. The volumes in this series were originally written in English, with the exception of Painting of Central Asia Vol. VI which was written in Italian and translated into English by Lothian Small. Second editions of some volumes were published in 1972, and paperback editions were published by Skira/Rizzoli later years. * ''Chinese Painting'' Vol. I. James Cahill (1960), 100 color plates, 213 pp. * ''Persian Painting'' Vol. II. Basil Gray (1961) 80 color plates, 191 pp. * ''Japanese Painting'' Vol. III. Akiyama Terukazu (1961), 81 color plates, 219 pp. * ''Arab Painting'' Vol IV. Richard Ettinghausen (1962) 81 color plates, 211 pp. * ''Painting of India'' Vol. V. Douglas Barrett & Basil Gray (1963), 83 color plates, 215 pp. * ''Painting of Central Asia'' Vol. VI. Mario Bussagli (1963), 68 color plates, 137 pp. The Taste of Our Time: 57 volumes (1953-1972) Promoted as "handy-sized" these small, relatively low priced books were designed for a wide audience without compromising Skira's high standards. Four "subseries" include Monographs (43 volumes), The Great Art Revolutions (6 volumes), Famous Places as Seen by Great Painters (4 volumes published with

obis The Ocean Biodiversity Information System (OBIS), formerly Ocean Biogeographic Information System, is a web-based access point to information about the distribution and abundance of living species in the ocean. It was developed as the information ...

), and four unnumbered volumes on drawing were published 1967-71 as a promotional campaign, buy three regular numbered volumes from the series and get one drawing book free. Collectively more than 30 authors contributed to the series including

(2 volumes), Georges Bataille, Eugenio Battisti,

, Pierre Courthion (4 volumes), Robert L. Delevoy (4 volumes), Pierre Descargues (3 volumes), André Fermigier, Francois Fosca, Pierre Gassier, Enrique Lafuente Ferrari, Jacques Lassaigne (6 volumes), Jean Leymarie (6 volumes), Gaetan Picon, Terisio Pignatti, Nello Ponente,

(2 volumes),

Pierre Rosenberg Pierre Max Rosenberg (born 13 April 1936) is a French art historian, curator, and professor. Rosenberg is the honorary president a director of the Musée du Louvre in Paris, and since 1995, he has held the 23rd seat of the Académie Française. H ...

, Denis Rouart (2 volumes), Claude Roy (3 volumes), Antoine Terrasse,

(3), Patrick Waldberg, and many others. The books are near square in shape (6.25 x 7 in./15.9 x 17.8 cm.) with beige buckram covers, embossed gilt-lettering in red (monographs), blue (Art Revolutions), and black (Famous Places). Each book had 44-78 (most 50-65) color plates. Second editions appeared as early as the late 1950s (e.g. Degas 1958, Picasso 1959), with a few more 1968-1969, and many in 1972. Famous Places as Seen by Great Painters (published with black obis) * ''Montmartre'', Vol. 16. P. Courthion (1956), 64 color plates, 143 pp. * ''Paris in the Past: from Fouquet to Daumier'', Vol. 20. P. Courthion (1957), 69 color plates, 151 pp. * ''Paris in Our Time: Impressionism to the Present Day'', Vol. 21. P. Courthion (1957), 70 color plates, 143 pp. * ''Venice'', Vol. 17. M. Brunetti, T. Pignatti, R. Pallucchini, and J. Lassaigne (1956), 78 color plates, 155 pp. The Great Art Revolutions * ''Cubism: Biographical and Critical Study'', Vol. 27. G. Habasque (1959), 71 color plates. 171 pp. * ''Fauvism: Biographical and Critical Study'', Vol. 28. J. Leymarie (1959), 70 color plates, 165 pp. * ''Impressionism I, before 1873: Biographical and Critical Study'', Vol. 11. J. Leymarie (1955), 52 color plates, 119 pp. * ''Impressionism II, after 1873: Biographical and Critical Study'', Vol. 12. J. Leymarie (1955), 63 color plates, 139 pp. * ''Romanticism'', Vol. 36. P. Courthion (1961), 58 color plates, 139 pp. * ''Surrealism'', Vol. 37. P. Waldberg (1962), 65 plates (62 color), 151 pp. Monographs * ''Bonnard: Biographical and Critical Study'', Vol. 42. A. Terrasse (1964), 54 color plates, 115 pp. * ''Bosch: Biographical and Critical Study'', Vol. 34. R. Delevoy (1960), 54 color plates, 143 pp. * ''Botticelli: Biographical and Critical Study'', Vol. 19. G. C. Argan (1957), 60 color plates, 147 pp. * ''Braque'', Vol. 35. J. Leymarie (1961), 53 color plates, 135 pp. * ''Bruegel: Historical and Critical Study'', Vol. 29. R. Delevoy (1959), 54 color plates, 155 pp. * ''Carpaccio: Biographical and Critical Study'', Vol. 24. T. Pignatti (1958), 54 color plates, 119 pp. * ''Cezanne: Biographical and Critical Study'', Vol. 8. M. Raynal (1954), 62 color plates, 139 pp. * ''Chagall: Biographical and Critical Study'', Vol. 18. L. Venturi (1956), 53 color plates, 123 pp. * ''Chardin: Biographical and Critical Study'', Vol. 40. P. Rosenberg (1963), 49 color plates, 127 pp. * ''Corot: Biographical and Critical Study'', Vol. 44. J. Leymarie (1966), 56 color plates, 139 pp. * ''Courbet: Étude biographique et critique'', Vol. 51. A. Fermigier (1971), 54 color plates, 142 pp. (no English edition) * ''Daumier: Étude biographique et critique'', Vol. 50. C. Roy (1971), 46 color plates, 127 pp. (no English edition) * ''Degas: Biographical and Critical Studies'', Vol. 5. F. Fosca (1954), 52 color plates, 107 pp. * ''Dufy: Biographical and Critical Studies'', Vol. 9. J. Lassaigne (1954), 54 color plates, 119 pp. * ''Dürer: Biographical and Critical Study'', Vol. 43. L. Grote (1965), 54 color plates, 143 pp. * ''El Greco: Biographical and Critical Study'', Vol. 15. P. Guinnard (1956), 53 color plates, 143 pp. * ''Fra Angelico: Biographical and Critical Study'', Vol. 10. G. C. Argan (1955), 49 color plates, 127 pp. * ''Fragonard: Biographical and Critical Study'', Vol. 46. J. Thuillier (1967), 48 color plates, 159 pp. * ''Gauguin: Biographical and Critical Studies'', Vol. 1. C. Estienne (1953), 51 color plates, 115 pp. * ''Giotto: Biographical and Critical Study'', Vol. 32. E. Battisti (1960), 54 color plates, 147 pp. * ''Goya: Biographical and Critical Study'', Vol. 13. P. Gassier (1955), 57 color plates, 139 pp. * ''Frans Hals: Biographical and Critical Study'', Vol. 48. P. Descargues (1968), 42 color plates, 147 pp. * ''Ingres: Biographical and Critical Study'', Vol. 47. G. Picon (1967), color 52 color plates, 131 pp. * ''Kandinsky: Biographical and Critical Study'', Vol. 41. J. Lassaigne (1964), 50 color plates, 131 pp. * ''Klee: Biographical and Critical Study'', Vol. 31. N. Ponente (1960),54 color plates, 143 pp. * ''Lautrec: Biographical and Critical Studies'', Vol. 3. J. Lassaigne (1953), 50 color plates, 121 pp. * ''Le Douanier Rousseau: Étude biographique et critique'', Vol. 52. P. Descargues (1972), 47 color plates, 155 pp. (no English edition) * ''Leger: Biographical and Critical Study'', Vol. 38. R. Delevoy (1962), 50 color plates, 143 pp. * ''Manet: Biographical and Critical Study'', Vol. 14. G. Bataille (1955), 53 color plates, 135 pp. * ''Matisse: Biographical and Critical Study'', Vol. 30. J. Lassaigne (1959), 57 color plates, 139 pp. * ''Miro: Biographical and Critical Study'', Vol. 39. J. Lassaigne (1963), 50 color plates, 143 pp. * ''Modigliani''. Vol. 23. C. Roy (1958), 57 color plates, 135 pp. * ''Monet: Historical and Critical Study'', Vol. 25. D. Rouart (1958), 52 color plates, 131 pp. * ''Picasso: Biographical and Critical Studies'', Vol. 4. M. Raynal (1953), 63 color plates, 135 pp. * ''Picasso 1950-1968: Historical and Critical Study'', Vol. 49. P. Dufour (1969), 50 color plates, 139 pp. * ''Piero Della Francesca: Biographical and Critical Studies'', Vol. 6. L. Venturi(1954), 57 color plates, 127 pp. * ''Rembrandt: Biographical and Critical Study'', Vol. 22. O. Benesch (1957), 56 color plates, 155 pp. * ''Renoir: Biographical and Critical Studies'', Vol. 7. D. Rouart (1954), 56 color plates, 119 pp. * ''Rouault: Biographical and Critical Study'', Vol. 26. L. Venturi (1959), 58 color plates, 143 pp. * ''Rubens: Biographisch-Kritische Studie'', Vol. 53. L. Delevoy (1972), 55 color plates, 201 pp. (no English edition) * ''Van Gogh: Critical Study'', Vol. 2. C. Estienne (1953), 55 color plates, 127 pp. * ''Velazquez: Biographical and Critical Study'', Vol. 33. E. Lafuente Ferrari (1960), 54 color plates, 131 pp. * ''Vermeer: Biographical and Critical Study'', Vol. 45. P. Descargues (1966), 55 color plates, 147 pp. Drawings (special promotion unnumbered volumes, published with green obis): * ''Chagall Unpublished Drawings''. J. Lassaigne (1968), 44 color plates, 95 pp. * ''Daumier Dessins''. C. Roy (1971), 61 color plates, 103 pp. (no English edition) * ''Impressionist Drawings From Manet To Renoir''. J. Leymarie (1969), 51 color plates, 104 pp. * ''Picasso Drawings''. J. Leymarie (1967), 51 illustrations, 44 tipped in plates, 107 pp. The Treasures of the World: 8 volumes (1962-1970) This collection was "Created by Albert Skira for Horizon Magazine" and focuses on the architecture, fine art, and decorative arts of various cultures or cities. The authors include art historians and archeologist including

Ekrem Akurgal Ekrem Akurgal (March 30, 1911 – November 1, 2002) was a Turkish archaeologist. During a career that spanned more than fifty years, he conducted definitive research in several sites along the western coast of Anatolia such as Phokaia (Foça), ...

, Maurizio Calvesi,

Francisco Javier Sánchez Cantón Francisco Javier Sánchez Cantón (1891–1971) was a Spanish art historian, who from 1960 to 1968 was Director of the Museo del Prado. Life Born in Pontevedra, Galicia (Spain), on 14 July 1891, in 1913 he obtained a doctorate from the Complute ...

, Alexandre Cirici-Pellicer, Deoclecio Redig de Campo,

Samuel Kirkland Lothrop Samuel Kirkland Lothrop (July 6, 1892 – January 10, 1965) was an American archaeologist and anthropologist who specialized in Central and South American Studies. His two-volume 1926 work ''Pottery of Costa Rica and Nicaragua'' is regarded as ...

Cyril Mango Cyril Alexander Mango (14 April 1928 – 8 February 2021) was a British scholar of the history, art, and architecture of the Byzantine Empire. He is celebrated as one of the leading Byzantinists of the 20th century. Mango was Koraes Professor ...

, Aly Mazahéri, Michelangelo Murano. These are large

folio The term "folio" (), has three interconnected but distinct meanings in the world of books and printing: first, it is a term for a common method of arranging sheets of paper into book form, folding the sheet only once, and a term for a book ma ...

books (13 x 10-1/2 in.) with red cloth covers embossed with gold gilt-lettering and include both black & white, and color tipped-in plates. * ''Treasures of the Vatican: St Peter's Basilica, The Vatican Museums and Galleries, The Treasure of St Peter's, The Vatican Grottoes and Necropolis, the Vatican Palaces.'' Maurizio Calvesi and Deoclecio Redig de Campos (1962), 120 plates/85 color, 207 pp. * ''The Treasures of Venice: the Church of St Mark's, the treasure of St Mark's, the Ducal Palace, the Gallerie Dell'accademia, the Architecture and Monuments of Venice.'' Michelangelo Murano and André Grabar (1963). 126 plates/? color, 218 pp. * ''The Treasures of Ancient America: The Arts of the Pre-Columbian Civilizations from Mexico to Peru.'' Samuel Kirkland Lothrop (1964). 145 plates/85 color, 230 pp. * ''Treasures of Spain II: From Charles V to Goya.'' Alexandre Cirici-Pellicer and Francisco Javier Sanchez Canton (1965), ? plates/? color, 236 pp. * ''The Treasures of Turkey: The earliest civilizations of Anatolia Byzantium the Islamic Period.'' Cyril Mango, Ekrem Akurgal, and Richard Ettinghausen (1966). ? plates/86 color, 253 pp. * ''Treasures of Spain I: From Altamira to the Catholic Kings.'' Alexandre Cirici-Pellicer and Francisco Javier Sanchez Canton (1967), 124 plates/? color, 249 pp. * ''The Treasures of the Pharaohs: The Early Period, The New Kingdom, The Late Period.'' Jean Yoyotte (1968). 120 plates/85 plates, 260 pp. * ''The Treasures of Iran: Medes and Persians, Treasures Of The Magi, The Iranian Renaissance.'' Aly Mazahéri (1970), ? plates/87 color, 300 pp. Art, Ideas, History: 10 volumes (1964-1969) Although heavily skewed to painting, this series expands coverage to encompass sculpture, architecture, and other visual arts, and to place that art into the broader social, political, philosophical, and historical context of the period that it was produced in. The authors include

Georges Duby Georges Duby (7 October 1919 – 3 December 1996) was a French historian who specialised in the social and economic history of the Middle Ages. He ranks among the most influential medieval historians of the twentieth century and was one of Franc ...

André Chastel André Chastel (15 November 1912, Paris – 18 July 1990, Neuilly-sur-Seine) was a French art historian, author of an important work on the Renaissance, Italian Renaissance. He was a professor at the Collège de France, where he held the chair of ...

Eugénie De Keyser Eugénie De Keyser (17 May 1918, Brussels - 4 April 2012) was a Belgian writer and art critic. She was Professor Emeritus at the University of Louvain (UCLouvain, Louvain-la-Neuve) and at Saint-Louis University, Brussels (Brussels), specializing i ...

, Nello Ponente, and Robert L. Delevoy. These books are in a quarto (4to) format (9 3/4 x 12 1/8 in.), and originally came with black

wrapped around the dust jackets, with transparent dust jacket protectors, all in white cloth slipcases. Originally planned as a 14 volume series with the titles promoted on the dust jackets of the published volumes, the first four volumes never materialized: ''Oriental Empires to Greek City States 1183-480 B.C.'', by P. Amandrym; ''Hellenism to Rome 480-88 B.C.'', by J. Marccadé; ''Five Centuries of Roman Art 88 B.C.-525 A.D.'', by E. Will; ''Rise of Byzantium 500-1050'', by C. Brandi).André Chastel. The Myth of the Renaissance 1420-1520. (1969), Editions d'Art Albert Skira, Geneva, 231 pp. * ''The Making of the Christian West 980-1140.'' Georges Duby (1967), 71 color plates, 214 pp. * ''Europe of the Cathedrals, 1140-1280.'' Georges Duby (1966), 71 color plates, 220 pp. * ''Foundations of a New Humanism 1280-1440.'' Georges Duby (1966), 72 color plates, 222 pp. * ''The Myth of the Renaissance 1420-1520.'' André Chastel (1969), 66 color plates, 231 pp. * ''The Crisis of the Renaissance 1520-1600.'' André Chastel (1968), 67 color plates, 217 pp. * ''Europe of the Capitals 1600-1700.'' Giulio Carlo Argan (1964), 64 color plates, 222 pp. * ''The Invention of Liberty 1700-1789.'' Jean Starobinski (1964), 63 color plates, 222 pp. * ''The Romantic West, 1789-1850.'' Eugenie de Keyser (1965), 64 color plates, 210 pp. * ''The Structures of the Modern World 1850-1900.'' Nello Ponente (1965), 66 color plates, 210 pp. * ''Dimensions of the Twentieth Century 1900-1945.'' Robert L. Delevoy (1965), 73 color plates, 224 pp.

Skira after its founder's death

After the early death of the firm's founder, Albert Skira, in 1973, the firm was sold to

Flammarion Flammarion may refer to: * Camille Flammarion (1842–1925), French astronomer and author * Gabrielle Renaudot Flammarion (1877–1962), French astronomer, wife of Camille Flammarion * Flammarion engraving by unknown artist; appeared in a book by C ...

and then to

Edipresse Edipresse is a company headquartered in Switzerland. Its main activities are magazine publishing, real estate and digital ventures. History The company was founded in 1907 by Paul Allenspach, publisher of the newspaper '' La Feuille d'Avis de L ...

before returning to the ownership of the Skira family. In 1996 the firm was acquired by the Italian publishing group Einaudi and later by

Mondadori Arnoldo Mondadori Editore () is the biggest publishing company in Italy. History The company was founded in 1907 in Ostiglia by 18-year-old Arnoldo Mondadori who began his publishing career with the publication of the magazine ''Luce!''. In 1 ...

and its head office was moved to the Palazzo Casati Stampa in

Milan Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...

References

External links

Official website
(in Italian)

- video "Avec Skira: Les débuts d'un grand éditeur" * WorldCat Identities
Albert Skira, Overview. http://www.worldcat.org/identities/lccn-n81095878/
{{DEFAULTSORT:Skira Publisher Book publishing companies of Italy Publishing companies established in 1928 Mass media in Milan Book publishing companies of Switzerland Visual arts publishing companies